Thing is, I don't need the Gov't to tell me that most of these foods with Trans-Fat in them weren't thought of as "healthy" foods anyways. I eat these foods with the expectation of enjoying a tasty meal, at the expense of the fact that it probably isn't good for me. As a grown-up, I accept that risk.

Let's go after McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendy's next!!! We wouldn't know that a Big Mac is bad for us w/o Gov't intervention!

I want to know what's in my food and then make my own decision as to whether or not I'm going to eat it.

What's next?

Substituting for trans fats in frying oils, etc., isn't a problem. Substituting for shortening in pie crusts is a different story. Butter isn't the subsitute for shortening in pie crust (it doesn't produce the desired flakiness), lard is. And it's damn hard to find quality lard nowadays (the stuff in the boxes at the supermarket is awful).

I so agree. In fact, I was going to put that in my original post. I've never made a decent pie crust that didn't have some Crisco in it. Of course, that doesn't mean it can't be done. Just not by me. EL

My great aunt made a certain type of sugar cookie at xmas, it was thick and fluffy. The recipe called for lard. We have tried to make it with all sorts of substitutes, and it just doesn't work.

Sometimes, you just have to use lard. If you don't do it every day, if you're only doing it once a year, what is the harm?

And I can totally taste the difference in the potato chips that have no trans fat now. Was that really necessary? Potato chips are bad for you, and you know that when you eat them. It's so unsatisfying lately. You want to be bad, but you just can't close the deal...

NDP, Grandma Utz potato chips are still fried in old-fashioned lard, thank goodness. I don't eat them all that often, but when I want potato chips, I accept no wimpy trans-fat-free substitutes.

Econ 101: the demise of transfats will create a market for better lard, the way you see free range chicken and eggs now. Maybe they could change the name of lard to butterfly kisses for marketing purposes. It might as well be called Hitler fat now. Eat like a farmer, die on your tractor.

This is an excellent point. Also, I should have mentioned you as having a great user name. EL

Luckily, lard is trans-fat free. Trans fats are the substitutes that were supposed to be healthier than lard, but aren't. Pure lard, which is now hard to find, is also supposed to be at least as good as Crisco in pie crusts.

A ban on trans fats should increase the use of lard, which is bad for vegetarians, but might suit foodies just fine.

I understand that Crisco is now making a trans fat free shortener. From what I understand it is a good substitute.

That being said, government should not be in the business of regulating our diet. Not only do we need to stop the bans on trans fats, but we also need to legalize raw milk and raw milk cheeses, unpasteurized apple cider and the raw ground beef sandwiches that were once sold at Lexington market.

Great, here it is before 8 am, and I going to be all riled up for the rest of the day.

lard is trans-fat free

Real lard is trans-fat free, I but I think the stuff sold in the butter-sized boxes in the supermarket might actually be hydrogenated just like margarine and Crisco are. I'm not certain I'm correct about this. Perhaps another D@L reader has the actual facts.

Econ 101: the demise of transfats will create a market for better lard

My Inner Cynic (aided and abetted by my Inner Conspiracy Theorist) worries that its more likely that the ADMs of the world will come out with an articial trans-fat-free fat subsitute.

Trans-fats/Hydrogenated oils were NEVER supposed to be healthier for you. They were supposed to be cheaper and were promoted by the Government during times of shortage during WWII to placate the huddled masses. Margarine is artificial poison invented by the English (natch) in the 1800s to give to the working poor instead of food. Now we feed animals artifiicial garbage and we get garbage animals. Rise up against the agri-lies and soy-traitors! Raise your pork swords against the fat-trannies, know your chicken, don't shock the monkey, bang a gong! If not you - who? If not now - when? Fight against the talons of agribusiness masquerading as the righteous. Join the Porcine Defense League.

I'm continually amused by all of the "food issues" that we focus on instead of our problems because of corn.

.........//////// LOB ..........

Tell us Jay, what are our problems caused by corn?

I agree that the government should allow us to make our own choices, but informed choices. There is no way to know what goes into your food in a restaurant. Many will lie because it's more profitable. I had a "chef" lie straight to my face about something and another chef, a real one, came out and discretely told me so. The government should also protect us from harm and should never have allowed harmful artificial ingredients into the food supply like artificial hydrogenated oils. And it's the artificial trans-fats that we don't want. Some trans-fats occur in nature in wholesome foods like milk in small quantities. It's not a simple issue.

And Cheetos still has hydrogenated soy bean oil in them. EL, your fingers are stained with the orange dust of Untruth!

I stand corrected. (Unless you're lying to me.) The nutritional label I linked to says 0 trans fat, but I know by law it can say that and still have a certain very small amount. That's pretty stupid, too, isn't it? EL

Now that I'm having a blog war with the Taloned Avengers, I try to keep lies to a minimum, righteousness being a virtue I suppose.

True, Cheetos have less than one gram of trans-fat (and according to the FDA 0.99 grams round to zero). Of course this is in a one ounce serving. Come on, EL, you've never had a one ounce serving of Cheetos. I can just imagine the empty bag and the nuclear-orange shame patina radiating from your fingers and mouth. We've all been there.

Enriched Corn Meal (Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, and Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (Contains One or More of the Following: Corn, Soybean, or Sunflower Oil), Whey, Salt, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), and Less than 2% of the Following: Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Maltodextrin, Disodium Phosphate, Sour Cream (Cultured Cream, Nonfat Milk), Artificial Flavor, Monosodium Glutamate, Lactic Acid, Artificial Color (Including Yellow 6), and Citric Acid.

Terriermom -
Breifly, here's onr of the problems caused by corn:

High-fructose corn syrup has been found to negatively affect insulin resistence and raise triglycerides. It's used in so many processed foods since it's sweeter and cheaper than real sugar. It's the one thing this lapsed low-carber has continued to avoid.

mmk, do you think vegetarians and foodies are mutually exclusive? I don't.

Now that photo is what I call true food porn, voodoopork.

All in the eye of the beholder Dah.

Bad Trans fats do not occur naturally; worse living due to modern chemistry (much like its sugary death cousin, High Fructose Corn Syrup). Butter, natural lard do not have hydrogenated oils. Cheap at the start, expensive when you start tallying up the medical bills.